Chapter 6: How can a mother tell her son that his life is ruined?
Florence's eyes widened in shock, and she exclaimed, "What?!"
Her legs were shaking, and she stumbled backward, her hand on her mouth, and landed on the chair she was sitting in.
The Doctor said, trying to calm her, "Don't worry, we'll transfer your son to his hospital room, and you can meet him once he's awake."
Florence whimpered, her hand still on her mouth, and thought, 'It's over! My worst fear has come true! My poor baby boy! How will he be able to face this?!'
Tears fell down her eyes, and she shakily nodded at the Doctor and thought, 'Oh, my poor Michael! The next time he tries to have an erection. .. That's it. . . There will be nothing. Not one ounce of excitement. Just cold emptiness...'
Her face was twitching uncontrollably. The future she envisioned for her son is ruined, and everything she hoped for is about to crumble.
She wiped her tears away and glanced at the surgery department's door, thinking, 'My son's life will never be the same, ever.'
Seeing her emotional state, the Doctor explained, "Ms. Taylor, you don't need to think of the worst. There is still hope for him."
"W-What?" When she heard his words, Florence's eyes lit up and asked, "H-Hope? So, M-Michael can be cured?!"
The Doctor sighed again and said, "I'm not saying that. The cavernous nerve of his penis is damaged, and we repaired it, but..."
"But?" Florence asked him, the tiniest bit of hope flickering in her eyes.
"But, well, we can't guarantee that his penis would work again.", the Doctor said.
"T-Then why did you say earlier that there's still hope?" Florence narrowed her eyes at him, her hopes crashing again.
The Doctor shook his head and said, "I meant that you can take him to another center to see if they can repair his cavernous nerve so he can have an erection in the future. However, the chances of such a successful treatment are slim, and you'll have to spend much money for that, too."
"W-Who's this doctor?" Florence asked.
"Her clinic has opened up recently here, in Pleasant Valley, and it's called Hyde Urology Center. Her name is Dr. Ishita Ahluwalia-Hyde. She's a world-class urologist." the Doctor said, "She's completed her fellowship from Mayo Clinic. If she says that Michael can be cured, he WILL be cured. But she's expensive, and you'll have to contact her since you'll have to request an appointment. However, that's your only hope. No other urologist will be successful in repairing the cavernous nerve."
Hearing that there was still hope for Michael, Florence nodded, gave him a weak smile, and said, "I'll keep that in mind. I-I'm grateful, Dr. uh..."
The Doctor said with a small smile, "Dr. Randal Lutz. You can call me Dr. Lutz."
Suddenly, a nurse came running to the Doctor and said, "Doctor! The patient in room 402 is seizing! Come!"
"I'll have to go.", Dr. Lutz said and hurried after the nurse.
Florence sighed, thinking, 'How will I explain this to Michael? Am I going to tell him the entire truth or just half? Or will I flat-out lie and say that he'll be okay again? His life is practically doomed. No. . . A young man's biggest dreams, ambitions, joy, and pleasure. . . All taken away from him. It's enough that my poor girl Christina suffered because of what her father did.'
Tears formed in her eyes as she thought, 'Who'd imagine that our everyday life would have such a cruel twist that can change anyone's life for the worse within the blink of an eye? And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't do anything to turn the scenario on your side. It can't be reversed. It's too late. Just one blow and everything gets destroyed. One minute, he was eating, and the next minute. . . He could no longer do the simplest thing any man could ever desire! I'm just. . .I'm just so. scared!'
She placed her hands on her face, stifled a sob, and thought, 'Life's really not fair. Why does it have to be this way?!'
She continued crying silently in the waiting room.
An hour later, a nurse came from the surgery department and said, "Ms. Taylor?"
Florence quickly stood up and approached her, and the nurse smiled at her and said, "Your son has been transferred to his room. You can see him."
"R-Really?! I can?!" Florence asked the nurse, excitement returning in her heart, her face stained with tears.
The nurse smiled and said, "Yes, please come with me."
"W-Wait!" Florence stopped the nurse and asked, "Where's the restroom?"
"It's just there. On the left.", the nurse said and pointed to where the restrooms were. And Florence hurriedly thanked the nurse and rushed inside the women's bathroom.
She washed her face and applied some blusher from the bag she kept in her pocket, her hands still shaky. After cleaning up, she looked in the mirror, put on a fake smile, and thought, 'I can't let Michael see my tear-stained face. If I show him I'm sad, he'll get suspicious. I know my son, and he's a smart kid.'
She entered the women's restroom and came out to see the nurse waiting for her, nervously tapping her fingers on her elbow.
Florence smiled slightly and approached the nurse, who sighed in relief and said, "Come, follow me."
The nurse walked with Florence, following her in silence. They reached the hospital's second floor, and the nurse showed her to a door with "Room 214" above it and said, "Your son is inside."
The nurse left Florence alone and walked away.
Florence braced herself. She inhaled and exhaled several times before opening the door with a ding. She entered inside and saw Michael lying in a single-person bed. There was an IV tube in his right arm, which connected with a transparent, filled bag that hung on top of him, and the beeping sound of his heart monitor could be heard.
The lights in the room were off, except for the moonlight peeping in the room from the sliding windows of the hospital room, which was opposite to the position of Michael's bed. But she could still see his tan complexion because of the little light coming into the room. The room smelled of antiseptic. She closed the door behind her as she approached her son's bed.
Michael was wearing a green hospital gown, but only from the waist down. His upper body, including his long legs, was covered with sheets. She reached Michael's bed and smiled at her son, silently sitting in the nearby chair and grabbing his right hand.
Michael's eyes twitched, and his eyelids started moving. Florence became alert when she noticed that Michael was about to wake up. She let go of his right hand and straightened her hair and clothes. He finally opened his eyes slowly with a fluttering of his eyelids and tried focusing his eyes.
His eyes shimmered under the moonlight and became focused slowly while thinking, 'W-Where am I?'
Suddenly, he realized that he was staring up at a plain-white ceiling, and he quickly turned his head towards his mother's direction and asked weakly, "Mom? W-Where am I? How long did I. .. sleep for? And what is this thing in my arm?".
He shakily placed his left hand on the thing inserted in his right arm, stared at it, and felt as though he was stabbed and stitched in his right arm.
Florence looked at her son, saw his inquisitive stare, and told him, "You're in the hospital, Honey." She was about to tell him everything but changed her mind, "U-Uh... we took you here after you passed out in the kitchen. Thankfully, nothing happened to you that would be dire."
"W-What about the glass shard?" Michael said, and his voice became hoarse.
"Drink water, you'll feel better." Florence gestured towards a cup of cold water on the table, which was at Michael's side, and he nodded, took the cup, and slowly drank it.
After he sipped water, he asked again, "What about the glass shard, Mom?"
Florence faked a smile and said, "The Doctor removed it, Honey. Don't worry."
He nodded at her words and tried sitting up but winced, "Ow!".
Florence panicked and asked, "What's wrong, Dear?".
"N-Nothing.", Michael said and lifted the sheets to check his bandaged groin, and Florence's eyes involuntarily dropped toward her son's crotch. His penis was covered with gauze, but she could clearly see its shape. It was limp. No hardness in sight.
Tears formed at the corner of her eyes when she looked at it, but she sighed, feigned a cheerful smile, and said, "I'm going to buy food for you. What would you like? It might help take the pain away."
"S-Something hot, please. And can you pick up some medication or something that can easily clear this pain? This shit sucks.", Michael said. Florence nodded and walked towards the door when suddenly, he said, "Hey, Mom. Thank you for saving me.".
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